Shop Tours

I love a good shop tour. This one comes out of Chicago and it’s called Two Penny Blue which began in 2010 in the attic of an old home outside of Boston. Founder, Marie Whitney, was on a mission to create an, “Incredible line of jackets and blazers with a social mission of educating girls around the world.” She worked on her project while her baby napped.

“The order was a tall one and the standards of excellence for the collection were exceedingly high and uncompromising – the fit needed to be perfect, the fabrics the finest in the world, the craftsmanship the best I’d ever seen, and the jackets modern classics. But hour by hour, day by day, sleepless night by sleepless night, the passion for the company only grew stronger and the dream of Two Penny Blue became a reality. In July, 2012 I launched our first collection of blazers on our website.” What an inspiring woman!

Today, her son is 7 years old and she has relocated and opened Two Penny Blue in Chicago and we get to see it today right here. I just love the interior design of this shop. So classy!

What do you think, do you love this shop too or what?

(Images with permission: Two Penny Blue)

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You really must check out this newly transformed Soviet-era dental clinic in Poland today, it’s the retail space of Thisispaper and I was happy that owners and designers Zuzanna Gasior and Aleksandr Zacharow took the time to reach out to me to share their space with me. It is very Kinfolk Style! Now it’s your turn to see it. This simple and quiet interior is quite striking, don’t you think?

If you’ve not heard of them before, Thisispaper is located in Warsaw and they design and carry their own products (like gorgeous bags and totes), the Thisispapermagazines and high-quality roasted organic Japanese teas. Thisispaper is located next door to their studio space so they make in one space, sell in the other (and also online). Continue Reading…

I just returned from a beautiful trip to Paris, then London, so I have a great deal to share with you but first, the highlight. My day at Merci in Paris with Artistic Director Daniel Rozensztroch. First, it was a dream come true to meet with him, not just for an interview, but for a store tour, lunch together and frequent chats throughout the day. He is such a creative man, a true artist, and I loved learning more about his life and travels which I’m thrilled to share with you now through my words and photographs.

As Artistic Director, he is solely responsible for the overall image of this famed concept store which is a major design influencer in not only France but worldwide. Before coming to Merci, he was with top French interiors magazine, Marie Claire Maison, for 22 years as Editorial Advisor (Conseiller de la redaction). Now with Merci for 8 years as Artistic Director (Directeur artistique), it’s clear his attention to the brand, the customer, what’s happening globally in design and his own inner radar for what’s appealing fills his mind constantly and is something in which he possesses endless passion.

(One of the cafes in Merci, the Used Book Cafe, with walls of books to peruse while sipping espresso. This was born from Daniel’s creative imagination.)

Daniel combs the globe for inspiration and products to take under his wing and bring into the store but additionally, he organizes and curates massive installations in-store that frequently change, all based around themes which range from microtrends (he has the power to set them) and rising trends in either design, fashion, lifestyle, cooking or movements in thinking. He’s always watching the news to see how current events may influence or shape ideas for upcoming shows at the store. He likes to bring awareness to particular themes while also inspiring Merci customers. He likes to make people think. It’s not all about selling product to him, his passion reaches much farther than the wallet – he wishes to inspire collective consciousness to motivate people to consider their lives and the everyday decisions that they make to move towards greater positivity and joy. And products can certainly help aid in that, if you are shown the right ones, which is something he believes in as well – the power of the object and its ability to bring harmony to life.

The current theme, for instance, is sports and wellness and is called Sport in the City. Clearly an important topic as cities globally are expanding awareness on the topic and more juice bars, sports clubs and fitness apparel shops are bursting open. Paris is currently experiencing a great awareness around health and fitness too. I observed this clearly as I saw about 50% less smokers than in times past when I had visited the city.

After the fitness theme, he gave me an insider’s tip that he’s worked with a team of talented people to develop a monochromatic theme based around African prints, patterns and design, which I cannot wait to see because I only think of saturated color when I think of most African textiles and furnishings.

(The men’s pop up shop, shown above. Daniel went home with that great camo coat and my friend Toni left with the camel jacket he is shown wearing. We had a great shopping day!)

What I noticed immediately upon meeting this talented man is that he listens more than he speaks. He believes in moderation, kindness, compassion, and in creating a meaningful home over time and certainly not to impress others. As we spoke, I sensed that he soaks in everything; which in turn helps him to later decipher what would be an interesting topic to explore for the store or for a future design (he is also a Designer). As a listener, when he does speak, there is something of substance to hold on to and consider later. I really appreciated this because it meant that conversation held more value and meaning, and wasn’t full of the typical surface topics which never really move you closer to the core of the person. He’s a lovely man to chat with, for sure.

(Adidas are so hot right now in Europe, especially these with the black stripes.)

I also caught on rather quickly that Daniel is obsessed with everyday items that are aesthetically-pleasing but also practical and functional, from a collapsible strainer he showed me in the Kitchen section along with a Japanese hand broom, to black matte cutlery on the floor for Home. His obsession clearly is what makes him so great at curating, his attention to detail and his dedication to collecting are inspiring because I also get excited over the little things so his passion was completely relatable to me.

(I loved that they have an Aesop pop-up shop on their ground floor, I grabbed the geranium hand balm from the Auriga kit.)

(Upstairs, they have a gorgeous paper shop. Swoon!)

With a home in central Paris (where he tends to his small garden, a huge trend in Paris at the moment is this sort of renegade gardener) and another in the South of France, Daniel is frequently flying between homes but even more, frequently between countries – he travels to lands far and near in search of something that will catch his eye – it could be anything and generally, not always what is obvious. The sign of a true artist is to see something in what others may walk by, tapping into one’s imagination. His imagination is always running wild and his heart, completely open and free to explore, which makes him perfect for what others may consider an overwhelming responsibility to oversee and curate one of the most influential design stores in the world.

While lunching at Merci on the lower floor near the gardens, I was seated at a lively table with many languages being spoken, delicious foods constantly arriving before us, a bottle of wine because it’s France after all, and I sat across from Daniel and just felt nothing but warmth and joy as he spoke. During lunch, we spoke about Instagram (he isn’t using it currently but maybe soon, wink wink), social media and blogging in general, his role at Merci and how he decides upon the next big thing to show in-store. Here is Daniel below, this portrait of him really captures his personality well.

It was a pleasure to be meet with someone with such a rich background who doesn’t bring ego into it. Our chat was relaxing and made me realize that there is no need to try to impress people when you are impressive enough, you know? Daniel doesn’t need to prove a thing. He is who he is and his confidence reflects that and it’s an endearing quality because it makes others feel at ease. When you leave ego out of your work, you can get REAL work done. You can do what is important.

(I loved these glass vessels in their Home section and below, all of the ceramics – quite gorgeous. I walked away with the white/black basket shown lower left on the floor for Aidan’s toys to discreetly tuck away in our living room.)

After spending nearly a day at Merci eating, shopping, meeting lovely people and photographing the store with Toni, I walked away more excited to follow Daniel’s work going forward and to keep an eye on the Merci blog and IG to see what he will do for the next installation, and the next, and the next. I also want to return again soon to visit him and maybe steal some time for a coffee because I just liked him as a person. I can’t wait to see where he will go next with his imagination. For me, I loved meeting with someone who brings so much wisdom and value into his work. He’s not fresh out of college or eager, he isn’t insecure or naïve. He’s a seasoned professional, a creative guru, who has seen it all, done it all, and wants to do even more in a fresh, creative and better way.

(Their linens are to die for. Seriously, the best linen and the best quality ever. They have table linens and an entire room of bedding, as well. You can also order it all online. I also loved the Massimo Castagna flatware with the openwork handles.

(I loved how many styles and periods they mix together but also how global it all is – it doesn’t look Scandi or French or Italian – it looks well-traveled and interesting, the contrasts are unique and add healthy tension, the focus is on comfort first.)

(Many of their pieces are handmade, one of a kind, like the lighting show bottom left. These are all sourced and made by hand and sold exclusively at Merci.)

(The stunning handmade Japanese pitchers on the table was a real highlight. I wanted so much to take one home and fill it with field flowers.)

(White enamelled metal flatware by Stefania Di Petrillo definitely had my attention and was something else I desperately wanted to take home with me. I also loved the black and white marble enamelware plates, which is trending currently in Europe for the tabletop. I saw it in London in all of the best stores, too. But I spotted it at Merci first!)

(I had to photograph the flowers and the simplicity of this tabletop. I loved the scalloped edges of this vintage farmhouse table. There is a lot of love in a table like that, and memories too.)

(So nice to see mustard and black, but even more, the pottery and linen… and glass. Everything was so cozy looking and welcoming but also stylish and current.)

(I went home with the gorgeous chair above bottom right from HAY, I had to have it.)

I wish Daniel (shown throughout this post and above, with me) nothing but the best and thank him from the bottom of my heart (and my colleague, Toni, also thanks him too) for treating us like family and with such kindness – this was surely a highlight in my career that I’ll never, ever forget. And a big thanks to Toni for being the best travel partner ever and for all of the help, I couldn’t have done this without you!

Hello dear friends and happy Friday to you! So! I decided a few months ago to shake things up and challenge myself to a new project – to focus on my photography and build my skills in that area. I’ve been hiring photographers on projects for years but lately, I’m shooting more for clients and even for my next book which has made me happier than I had expected. My uncle and grandfather were both professional photographers so who knows, perhaps it’s a little bit of a calling? I’m not becoming a photographer but I thought I’d challenge myself to take better photos outside of my studio and home and shoot in other locations where I’d be forced to deal with different lighting, objects, people, work with others, make them happy, be in new settings… You know, stuff you need to do in order to push outside of your comfort zone.

I made an appointment several months ago with snug studio, a local design firm that I’ve been following since they launched, and yesterday I visited them to put together this little story for all of you. This creative firm consists of three friends, Berit, Kerstin and Heiko and their assistant, Bettina. Above is a glimpse of their Continue Reading…

Hi again! Next, I want to share this incredible homewares shop called Shelter 7 that I found through Tara Pearce, a brilliant photographer who wrote in earlier this week about Shelter 7, since she recently shot it and hoped I’d be open to sharing it on decor8. Of course, I said YES!

Styled by Sami Johnson, this shop shoot came out so nice! I thought though that I’d go above and beyond sharing her amazing visuals and so I made contact with the shop owners to learn more about who they are and what they do. I’ve included my interview the Shelter 7 founders, husband and wife team Rebecca and Terry Meyer, below.

First of all, where are you located? S7: We’re at 131 Ryrie Street, Geelong, Victoria Australia

How did you come up with the name Shelter 7? S7: The name took a long time to come up with. We wanted an original name to capture the essence of where we live, so we went back to basics and came up with Shelter 7.

Can you tell us about your shop – the inspiration behind it? S7: The shop is very much an extensions of mine and my husband’s love of unique and inspirational pieces. A combination of travel and vintage pieces sourced across the globe and some unique and very clever Australian designers.

Tell us about La De Dah Kids because I heard that this is also your company. What do you design? S7: La De Dah Kids is our toy and kids accessories brand and our own unique designs. We design two ranges a year with the aim to design quirky and unusual pieces, with an ever-present emphasis on both affordability and quality. For our niche product range, we use old school making techniques such as knitting and crocheting. Our products are all made from the finest 100% cotton yarn and produced ethically in the comfort of our producers homes enabling them to work around their family needs such as child care etc. Our La De Dah Kids products are not only our own unique designs but are also made with love. They are tailored towards both children and the child at heart, lovers of the quirky and unusual, and anyone who reaches out to the amazing world with imagination, wonder and creativity.

The bicycle print over the stairs – can you tell us more about that? S7: This is created by Australian designers Pony Rider. They create versatile and inspiring pieces that look great thrown across your sofa, bed or hung as an artwork in the home.

Can you tell us about the shop space – it looks old and interesting. Did you have to renovate? S7: The space had amazing light – but needed a huge amount of work to bring it back to life. It previously had been a costume shop for about 10 years. After a long 3 months of renovating and many late nights we found that we had uncovered the beauty and old character of the building. This gave our collection of sourced products the perfect home.

What challenges do you face as a shop owner? S7: The work life balance is a big one and something that we have to constantly reassess.

How? S7: We know that whilst the business is in it infantile stages this is difficult to overcome. So being aware of these problems and planning ahead the best we can.

What advice to do you have for others who want to launch a shop, whether online or brick and mortar? S7: Ensure that you have a strong product line and strong and unique imagery that sets you apart from all your competitors.

Can you tell us more about the candles with the rifles on them? I want one!S7: These are amazing aren’t they? This is a beautiful boutique brand in Sydney called Pigeon and Weasel. Their Triple scented soy wax candles are hand poured here in Australia into recycled glass beer bottles that the two co-founders collect from there local drinking hole. The scents are beautiful.

Can you tell us about the textiles on the hooks and the pillows? I’m in love! S7: These are created by the very talented local Australian girls Kip & Co. They make the most beautiful bedlinen, towels and now rugs. Their designs are very unique and inspired by unique, wild, and brave art and nature, soaked up on their backpacking adventures around the globe.

Who makes the big pillow shown above? S7: Again this is another of the lovely Pony Riders designs. These cushions are perfect for lazing around on a slow sunday afternoon.

Where do you source products for your store? S7: We source products all over — from local designers here in Australia. We produce our own kids range and next year we will launch our adults line of homewares under the Shelter 7 brand.

Where do you go online for inspiration? S7: Pinterest, photographers and decorating blogs are my biggest inspiration for the home.

Do you find blogs helpful in promoting your work and shop and if so, why? S7: Blogs are very helpful in promoting our work on a global platform and also for finding shops. I know before I go on holidays I often research my favourite blogs for the “go-to” places and bloggers definitely do a great job of keeping us up to date on new and interesting places to visit.

Thank you so much, especially for sharing your gorgous shop and tips on new and inspiring products, with us today. Have a great weekend!

(images: tara pearce with permission)

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Hello everyone, this is Emilie, I usually write Playing With Food for decor8 but this time, I’m doing something a little different for you. Last week, Holly was invited to Copenhagen because Muuto presented their latest collection. She wasn’t able to attend so she sent me as her reporter instead and so I’m here to give you my report. Located on the top floor (under the roof) of a beautiful building in the heart of Copenhagen, Muuto is both a showroom and office space where their team works. It’s paradise!

For one day, I was given the opportunity to explore this creative brand and its spirit. Founded in 2006 by Peter Bonnén and Kristian Byrge, they are now a team of 35 people working at this location shown in central Copenhagen (but with many more virtual teammates!). But Muuto, what is it? Muuto is primarily a Nordic and Scandinavian brand that designs and manufactures furniture, lighting and other small objects with a single mindset: GOOD DESIGN. Their main material is wood. Tables, chairs, new vessels (which consist of a piece of wood and glass), wall dots … Wood is the center of their creativity.

Despite a range of recognizable color, Muuto is not fixed and allows for creativity to each designer to offer new colors, shapes, objects. It’s a real creative and collaborative work environment, an exchange. The mantra of Muuto is: Be pro active in the design process and work in excellent conditions for successful collaborations.

Kristian and Pete, the founders, were not at all predestined to work in design. Training “commercial” (strategic management for Kristian and Economics for Pete) the field of a creative was not initially in the program. But their passion for architecture, supplies, design, brought them to work with designers and to develop Muuto. In fact, they knew immediately that they enjoyed to be surrounded by creative minds and designers. Their focus? Working with only Scandinavian designers to keep the spirit of the brand. All products are not exactly from the same place either, they know how to use the skills of each Scandinavian country to choose the best products for their line.

Their inspiration? To become THE “new” design in Scandinavian. I’d say they are already a success! The Scandinavian design very popular 50-60 years begins to turn forward to give way to this new generation. Muuto philosophy could be summed up by their democratic design. Their furniture design often designated by three creations around the same ideas: basic, elaborate, inventive. Kristian said that it’s much like your wardrobe — you still need basic black jeans and a white tee shirt, then one more elaborate unique piece. It is the same with the Muuto collection!

Currently being sold in over 100 stores globally, Muuto extends its notoriety worldwide. What are their bestsellers? The dots coat hooks, available in 10 colors…

And the Around table available in 2 different sizes and 6 different colors/finishes.

What’s new? This incredible chair in gray, natural and black…

… And these vessels designed by Thomas Bentzen.

Thank you Muuto (and Holly!) for giving me a lovely trip to Copenhagen to explore this collection and for the extra “free” day that I had to explore your beautiful city. What do you think about Mutto? Do you own any of their pieces? – Emilie

(images/text: emilie gupta)

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About

I’m Holly Becker, and I work as a journalist, author and interior stylist with a 4th book soon to release this September. On decor8, I share decorating ideas, trends and beautiful objects and places - those extra special finds, often made by hand, things that tell a story. I'm lucky enough to travel frequently so I record my many adventures here, too. Together with my small team, we present daily content to enlighten and inspire. Welcome and happy decor8ing!

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